Comanche Archery 101: The Bow

[@isaacbrascoupe]

I and my brother have been teaching native bow making for a while. But it warms our hearts that their are other bow makers out there. Interesting tiller on the belly, each piece of wood has it's own character. I guess you haven't had any compression fractures. Pass it along you never know whose life it will affect and grow. God bless

[@maisetas]

what can i put on the back of the bow instead of rawhide, i cannot find it in my region.

[@leroyjarvis5617]

@@maisetas ive made many bows and have used lots of backing material such as canvas, blue jeans, fiber tape and bamboo. I used titebond glue or knox gelatin from the grocery store to glue down the backing. Experiment with lots of fiber. Hope this helps.

[@nisurasamfitness115]

Hi Isaac. Do you offer any for sale

[@tha2010kid]

Hey Isaac, looking to round out my Bow wall and a short style is what I'm missing. Looking through many different cultures for inspiration to have a bow made and am looking for about a 70-80lb draw weight in a short bow. Can the Comanche horse bows come in at that poundage?

[@nothyperbole4984]

Beautiful video on my passion, archery. I started using the bow in 1960 and shoot weekly on my property. My father was Mattoponi Tribe . The outdoors and archery is who I am.🌲🌲🌲

[@yugandali]

It's wonderful that you're keeping the language alive! Greetings from the Wulai Tayal tribal Archery team in northern Taiwan. Lokah ta kwara!

[@bobsmoot2392]

Wonderful. Thank you. Respect for your people, and their journey.

[@Balaclavaballistics]

It would be a dream to have a Comanche short bow.

[@patrickbass3118]

Build one! 👍

[@greywolfwalking6359]

Indeed,what an honor to have,n ,be able to use it for hunting...wast'e!

[@LUCKYB.]

Call a comanche that makes Bows and order one . Quit being cheap .You live once .

[@rkargus]

Yes, they are definitely one of the easier diy bow patterns! But be prepared to be hooked after you build your first

[@DennisMathias]

Does anyone know someone who can make these? I don't have the skill.

[@Hardrada88]

I love this video, thank you. Keep coming back, I’m working on a short bow and am in the final stages - this video is full of information. I do appreciate the help! Stay safe and well out there

[@islandspicehawaii]

Love it... thank you for holding tradition. My family is Occonaluftee. I've made lots of bows and lots of arrows yet I can honestly say I've never seen this style. This short... but wide

[@brucenovotny5924]

Oh, I wish this was longer. Very interesting. Thank you. 🙏🙏🙏

[@templestar1]

This is centuries of history before our eyes.

[@nativeredman9940]

Winter is the best time to collect the wood.Good video, Nee Heintz!

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very interesting! I am surprised such a small bow could take large game! Thank you.

[@Bushcraft-xz6xd]

Many shots were through and throughs even on Buffalo. Theses bows while short and with low draw lengths still packed a punch!

[@fritzruttimann1517]

Beautiful hand crafted short bows, it was and still is a very reliable and effective weapon in the hands of skilled shooters.

[@jtepsr]

Absolutely beautiful bow, I am having one made, can’t wait to get it

[@templestar1]

It’s nice to see that people are still making these works of art. Apache nation

[@donovanstillday11]

Daniel Ponce

[@donovanstillday11]

Daniel Pon b. ce

[@denvergriffin5555]

Thanks so much for sharing this video. I make all kinds of bows but my very favorites are the Comanche style bows in osage orange - elegantly simple effective shooters. Great video, and the next one I am doing offset nocks like your grandfather's.

[@Balaclavaballistics]

The Comanche were some fearsome warriors, especially when on horseback!

[@lloydn1510]

I just wish we would have left them alone and lived like them. Life might have been less stressful.

[@widehotep9257]

@@lloydn1510 Wish we lived like Comanches? You mean constant warfare, torturing captives by burning them alive, strangling infant children, mass-raping women, and constantly stealing other people's horses? And this is just the stuff they did to the Apache and Navajo tribes, not to mention what they did to the Mexicans and Americans!

[@thunderbear4254]

Only against White settlers but never against other Natives

[@saintultra2737]

@@widehotep9257the exact same thing was done to the innocent tribes of California and the civilized tribes of the east, by the white man. Many such actions taken under the context of war. 🤷‍♀️ that’s war and historical normalcies for you.

[@widehotep9257]

@@thunderbear4254 Nonsense! The Comanches were in constant warfare with most of their neighboring tribes. Read Hermann Lehmann's book. He was kidnapped by Indians when he was ten years old and later joined the Comanche tribe as a warrior. When they discovered their enemies had cannibalized a fellow Comanche, they hunted them down, made a pile of their wounded bodies and torched them while they were still alive.

[@PanSaltzCaballeratos]

Amazing video . You inspire me to craft some more of these amazing traditional bows .

[@electrominded8372]

Love the groove on the belly side. Interesting. Will try to emulate that on one of my bow projects.

[@humanbeing2009]

Beautiful bows. Thank you for sharing. The concave belly one is especially fascinating. I wonder if that makes it shoot smoother and with less twist? I have an 30 year old Jim Hamm Comanche reproduction sinew backed Osage bow and arrow set. Wow you don't keep the arrows for long on that short bow! Very powerful.

[@rickrobitaille8809]

🇨🇦🎯🇺🇸😁

[@tonynapoli5549]

Very interesting subject for me. Thanks for sharing

[@daveyjoweaver5183]

Thank You! You can see these bows you sbared with us were made in true spirit. Beautiful! I believe the best year ever is here for Mother Earth and ALL her Children. DaveyJO

[@dmac2899]

Stupid comment

[@AGermanFencer]

How is their draw weight? Especially the historical one would be interesting in that regard. Thanks for sharing!

[@nisurasamfitness115]

I own 2 copies of museum bows in terms of thickness and length one is 55lbs at 22" the other is 70lbs at 21", both 48" long

[@StragglerTx]

Good video , the left handed Comanche warrior is the greatest warrior 🪶

[@TobyStClair]

thank you for taking the time to share this. #ComancheNation - Anadarko Native - Grandson of Lee Viddaurri

[@RedriverStickbowCo.]

I believe lee vidaurri was my great grandfather archie trevinos 1/2 brother.

[@donwadsworth4393]

Thank you for sharing this, I am Muskogee Creek, we also call it yellow wood, Etolane, Mvto brother!

[@spitrock33]

thank you for you,, what is the wisdom for the concave belly of the bow

[@sergeantcrow]

I'm guessing.. It's a way to allow reduction along the limb to allow even bending along limb... I taper my bows to do that. I have never seen this concave, but I think that would work..

[@richardhoule4389]

I was wondering same thing! I just got into bow building.. when I get good enough I plan to take a trip to get sum Osage and make one of these.. for now I use any hard wood I can find near me..

[@rickrobitaille8809]

On of the first great distance weapons..🎯🇨🇦🇺🇸🌐

[@Buildinc1]

Beautiful bows. Is it my imagination or do the belly of the bows have slight hollow in them running up the limb?

[@PanioloBee]

Curious, did a person have to make their own bow, arrow, arrow head, etc. Or, were there individuals in the tribe that specialized in the bow, arrow, etc?

[@culpritcanine6059]

Anyone know how they cut the relief in the belly of the shortest bow? It's beautiful!

[@ShueperDan]

I couldn't make out what you said about the proper time of year to collect Osage wood.

[@GoWildHistory]

Great video! Very interesting.

[@seanhuds7351]

It always makes me smile when people reference English Longbows, cheers lads, its flattering that people acknowledge what a great war Bow that was/is, although it was the Welsh who were reputedly the best in the British Isles with the longbow.

[@richardmonson8657]

Would you be willing to share the dimensions for the Commanche short bow?

[@errolstanding8483]

Is the finished or slightly hollowed out in the limbs? Appears in the video so. Thanks for sharing

[@widehotep9257]

The Comanche warriors were small men on small ponies who travelled extremely lightly. A saddle, a blanket, bow and arrows, shield, lance, and the clothes on their backs.

[@nisurasamfitness115]

Your a small man with some pent up agression towards native americans bro.

[@widehotep9257]

@@nisurasamfitness115 No, I just spent the winter reading five books and a ton of online articles about Native American culture. Most Comanche men were about five feet tall. They were probably the best mounted warriors of all time, and part of the reason was their smaller size that allowed them to perform gymnastic techniques while riding at full gallop. And they travelled extremely light compared to Apaches, Spaniards, and the American Army soldiers. This minimal cargo allowed them to travel twice the distance as their enemies in the same amount of time.

[@nisurasamfitness115]

@@widehotep9257 oh okay sorry my bad

[@saintultra2737]

@@widehotep9257​​⁠ No they were not. Multiple old articles and sources say plains tribes in particular were among the tallest men in the world (at the time). Plains diet (bison/high protein), consistent exercise, less diseases experienced than an agricultural society.

[@widehotep9257]

@@saintultra2737 There were some rare six-foot Comanches, like Quanah Parker, but he was born to a white mother. According to eyewitness accounts and old photos, Comanches weren't very tall. Empire of the Summer moon is an excellent book about the Comanches that talks about this. The Comanches originated somewhere else far away (Wyoming, maybe?) and were driven off their lands due to warfare. Their small group migrated to the plains on foot. Only after they mastered the horse did they begin to dominate other tribes and grow to a large population. Other tribes had extremely tall warriors over seven feet tall, like the Osage.

[@nancytimmer9026]

I love these little bows. Amazing how the hollow profile tiller works. I thought osage is strong enough on compression? Or is it hollowed out to put less strain on the weaker back? How heavy in draw weights are these?

[@nisurasamfitness115]

@POOR PIRANO all plains bows were between 40-50 inches long. No way these bows would get a 27 inch draw mate, more like 18-23 inches of draw. Trade points were found lodged into early settlers skulls which would lead us to believe they were much heavier than 20-30. Reproductions are always between 40-80lbs in draw weight

[@sevensurvival]

Very informative , well made video, thanks Brother .......Seven Thunders

[@bhutchens21]

Great video!

[@Paranormalcrow]

Beautiful

[@scotthuffman5475]

When were the last Indian made bows that were for fighting and hunting bison. I live in Texas and am very curious when the last of the Indian weapon gave way to the rifle. Also can you post on the use of the pre-bow dart weapon?

[@nisurasamfitness115]

Comanches kept bows and guns at equal footing, unlike other tribes (lakota , cherokee e.t.c) guns were not placed above the bow but kept in equal numbers, out of a war party some preffered guns some preffered bows, one was slow shooting but had high impact, the other was much faster shooting but had slightly less impact. chief quanah parker (the last comanche chief) was legendary with the bow and arrow and fought many people with guns with nothing but his bow, you can see pictures of him and nearly every one he is holding his bow. As for when they were used in battle, majorly up untill late 1800s , which is pretty recent .

[@gumecindogarcia1070]

The dances with wolves DVD talks about the hunt scenes, appears that the Native Americans never quit their culture. The movie shows real Indians on real buffalo ponies hunting with traditional bows on the Northern plains

[@mccarthy86]

Are there any good authentic Comanche bow makers that are selling?

[@russellneese8754]

Good 👍🏼 one ☝🏽 Jr.

[@jayscroggins.thunderboy3064]

Hau mitakuye'pi oglala lakota here, lela was'te aho mitakuye oyasin.

[@troyreynolds4520]

Very nice video what was the poundage of the bows ???

[@wushuman426]

probably somewhere around 40.

[@jtepsr]

where would one buy these bows arrows and quilver

[@YourUncleScroatie]

The good ol' #80

[@johnjriggsarchery2457]

Thank you

[@brianlocal3]

What would the average draw weight of a Comanche short bow be?

[@gigivig2605]

comanche the true americans , kudos 4 eva

[@Blueskies-h3e]

Where can I get one of these bows???

[@lordot8665]

Id like to see one of these being made.

[@EURIPODES]

Europeans aimed with their eyes. Comanche aimed with their heart.

[@solomonstemplers]

tell that to a man in his thirties who by law practiced longbow since child hood back in the 12th 13th century. same thing as the comanches id say.

[@jonajo9757]

@@solomonstemplers You're not wrong. A man skilled in their way of fighting always uses their heart.

[@evancooper7510]

Medieval archery does not compare to the abilities of the Japanese or the Comanche, but thats just my subjective opinion. I still think archery in general is absolutely awesome and definitely different.

[@nisurasamfitness115]

@@solomonstemplers but the comanches and most plains tribes literally pulled the bowstring to their heart/chest with a pinch grip whereas europeans generally pulled to an anchor near the eye or ear

[@solomonstemplers]

@@nisurasamfitness115 the Europeans were generally using much stronger pull weights at longer distance both mastered they're own style.

[@ravenfeather7087]

What was the draw weight of bows used for buffalo hunting? The arrow length?

[@Aaron-ud6wk]

Raven Feather It varies. Some of the museum pieces I have examined were unusually thick with their front to back profile. Averaging in length 50” and below, seldom sinew backed. It’s interesting to note that the Plains bows (pre-Columbian, before the introduction of the horse) were longer than 50”. It’s nearly impossible to determine the exact draw weight of a museum bow due to the varying characteristics of wood, but to answer your question I would say the average weight would be 50 pounds. The arrows were short as you would suspect, about 22”-24” long.

[@sparkrain3580]

Where can I buy a short bow like this?

[@sergeantcrow]

I wish I could do buy some Osage... One day..

[@barry7608]

Why was the middle bow laminated? and it looked like bamboo on the back

[@BlindDesertPete]

Not laminated, heartwood and sapwood. Done also with yew.

[@richardfrost4936]

The Comanche never had horses before the Spanish introduced them to America. Before that time they would stampede buffalo into prairie dog towns. The buffalo would step into the holes and break their feet and be stampeded over by other animals. Then they could come in and finish them off. They could kill many buffalo at a time this way, sometime hundreds.. They also had a weapon called a spear thrower but it was unpractical once the horse culture developed.

[@nisurasamfitness115]

Nope they wore wolf hides and snuck up next to the buffalo and shot them mainly, some tribes like the blackfeet preferred stampeding them down cliffs but most tribes hunted on foot

[@angcrita]

want to know how it is made !

[@TexRenner]

Bois d'Arc means wood of the arc (bow wood) in [Louisiana] French.

[@aokspage]

Nice stuff

[@najdiy]

How much the draw weight

[@EliotChildress]

would the decorations that you mentioned be carved or painted?

[@ShueperDan]

PAINTED, never carve into a bow.

[@SSHitMan]

What is the draw weight of those bows?

[@samirondogbelly5345]

I do know that the Comanche could shoot 10 arrows riding on the side of a fast horse before the enemy could get off 1 black powder shot.Light Infantry. They learned these. skills when they first learned to walk.

[@elsmerks323]

Were can i get a bow like this that i can actually use for hunting

[@bobgriffin2743]

There is an event down in Oklahoma near Stillwater every year in March called O-Jam and it is 4 days of making self-bows. You can join and be assigned to a camp and they will teach you everything you need to know and help you build your own bow.

[@David-th2ug]

Does anyone know the draw weight of these types of bow?

[@RickyMontez]

thats tight

[@halim97]

Good

[@AllenGoodman]

Native Indians, the first American woodworkers. 👍🇺🇲

[@ЮрийВилин-Каналдлялучника]

Great video, very informative. What was average poundage for these bows?

[@alexanderbone2913]

The average poundage was usually around 40lbs

[@RedmanOutdoors366]

Wow 😎👍💯🇺🇲

[@milagri7982]

Me encantaría tener un amigo indio nativo de Estados Unidos un comanche me encantaría💘♥️💗💗💕❣️❤️🧡💓💓💖💖💛💛💛

[@josecardoso6231]

💯🏹🎯

[@Patton6263]

does anyone know where I can find a working replica commanche horsebow to buy? Preferably 50-60lb draw? I compete in mounted archery and want to bring native american traditions, techniques, and methods into the light.

[@nisurasamfitness115]

For Real Plains indian bows made by Real plains indians. Id recommend the Nakoda Craftsmen (Nakoda)or Richard Giago (Oglala Lakots) , they make all plains bows whether its comanche or otherwise they can hook you up. Richard is available on facebook and the Nakoda Craftsmen is on Instagram. They are your best bet for authentic plains items.

[@samatdubanbekov1708]

Аллах акбар Команчи не здаются

[@58landman]

Those bows look like they were made with modern wood working tools. The bow in the center looks like it has laminations and nothing about them suggests that they were made in a traditional manner.

[@manuelkong10]

I'd like to buy a bow from him

[@johnsharkey9143]

They only have one knock up top

[@92tele25]

Osage orange hedge

[@delljohnson172]

WHAT IS THE DRAW WGT?..what is the draw? weight..did i miss it before ?nice video.

[@thedwardkoch]

Dell Johnson he didnt say but 40-60lb average with a 22-26" draw

[@Houston123ABC]

The color difference isn't sap wood versus heart wood?

[@kinglordsm]

I thought he was gonna shoot an arrow

[@rustyharvey6855]

the real Americans

[@onlythewise1]

nope real ones died off these came after the ice age so many dumb asses

[@onlythewise1]

the first Americans landed one million years a ago they was Europeans in Europe they landed 8 million years ago in Europe

[@TheShadowsKnow]

I normally don't comment on youtube videos but damn you are a stupid clown. There is absolutely no credible evidence that "the first Americans were actually European." not that you stated it so cogently. You are so insecure and desperate to feel that you own this land by right that you are willing to invent and propagate a fictional narrative about Ice age Proto-Europeans walking across the Atlantic. You just can't stand knowing that your ancestors weren't the first ones on Turtle Island can you? What academic credentials do you hold? None of course, now bite your tongue fool.

[@jmcfintona999]

Rusty Harvey Scottish, Welsh and Irish the real English people.

[@onlythewise1]

please noirz13 try to talk above a moron just because you found no evidence don't mean there isn't any but its ok your kind is dime a dozen and dumb .

[@boldventure2]

Never forget the atrocities committed by the Comanches.

[@kevobrando95lx44]

Ayye my moms kenneth saupittys daughter.

[@poisontoad8007]

So this is post-contact technology. What do we know of the bows used before horses were re-introduced by the Spanish? Did they even use bows then?

[@mac2k2020]

of course they did , he mentions them .. pre columbian bows were longer and the arrows had flint points instead of steel the bow design still similar

[@nisurasamfitness115]

Tribes on the plains that didnt do much horseback fighting still had very short double curve bows like this and even some sinew backed bows and horn composite bows. Bows have existed in the Americas for a untold period of time, no one knows when the natives started bow making, just because they found bow fragments from earliest a few thousand years ago does not mean they werent using them before that, wood degrades quickly.

[@hudsontoo1212]

Suck an important skill- hope the knowledge is being passed down. I think we’re going to need the old skills again soon

[@abuzuhm]

bois d'arc =French for "wood for bows"=bodark

[@hollywoodhustlng4071]

Comanche where not the best warrior's the apaches were and their knife fighting skills are used by the special forces,comanche were only a thing because of horses and yes the were scary but not tribe was as scary as the Apache Indian

[@Smitty-tc4ni]

Bois d’arc is French for bow wood it is not a Comanche word.

[@matthiasliszt8490]

So, it's Osage Orange and by looking at the size and diameter there is no way they can have much draw weight. Of course, this raises a lot of questions.

[@nisurasamfitness115]

Reproductions are between 40-80 lbs, theres skulls of early settlers with trade points lodged in deep. A weak bow would not be capable of that

[@tonystoops7802]

You can blame this on joe rogan

[@brainphelps1994]

could the native americans, when they were shooting their bow and arrows, could they pull an arrow out of the quiver real fast and fire it and pull another one out of the quiver behind their shoulder and fire it real fast, like the elf guy from lord of the rings?

[@brainphelps1994]

+Dillon Flannery but they might have used the quiver to store ammo and some of the skilled warriors could have been able to shoot fast like faster than a six gun for all we know. It could have been utilized in that manner by the chieftain warriors and the ones what fought in the battle of the little big horn, we don't know if it was, but we don't know that they weren't either, because none of custerds troops survived to tell the tale.

[@jamesaritchie2]

+Dillon Flannery Despite all the talk, there is no real evidence that any archer held his arrows in his hand. He probably held a couple, but the quiver was not a Hollywood invention. I've owned quivers that were hundreds of years old. You don't go hunting, and you certainly don't go into battle, with only the three or four arrows you can hold in you hand, and once the fire the ones you're holding, then what do you do? Do you really think that's all the arrows you'll have with you, and ready to use?

[@jamesaritchie2]

+Brain Phelps Not faster than a six gun, but very fast. Yes, of course archers have always used quivers.

[@shinrarango]

+Mermaid Man quoting that lars anderson guy eh? don't believe everything you see on the internet....

[@nisurasamfitness115]

@@jamesaritchie2 bro theres plenty of pics of old warriors holding arrows in the.bow hand while shooting. If youd like to see drop ur email.

[@davidgeldner2167]

Thank you